I presented my thesis in Veterinary Medicine dealing with the genetic variation of the NS gene of influenza A viruses in their natural reservoir in northern Europe and the genetic and functional variation of the NS gene of influenza A viruses with different pathogenicity in mink (Mustela vison) at Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) December 9, 2009. From that point onwards, I have had 100% research positions at the National Veterinary Institute (SVA). I was born and raised in Teheran, the capital city of Iran. I finished my BSc in animal husbandry in august 1988, just before I was forced to leave the country and seek political asylum in Sweden in October 1988. I moved to Uppsala in the autumn of 1990 to study microbiology at Uppsala University. The national veterinary institute employed me in January 1994 as a research scientist working with research projects focusing on the development of diagnostic kits for the detection of different avian diseases such as Newcastle disease (NDV), Avian metaPneumovirus (aMPV), Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), Mycoplasma gallisepticom (MG) and Mycoplasma synoviae (MS) and helped developed the research environment with a focus on viral diseases in poultry to the standards it holds today at the national veterinary institute. During the last two years, I have mantled most of the everyday running of a research group at our department, focusing on getting a better understanding of pathogenicity and virulence factors. It has been an exciting journey and the group today consists of PhD-students, senior scientists, and laboratory technologists.